On day 21 of #TransLoveNov, I send my love to S. Dr. S Simmons has been part of my Chicago and doctoral journey from the beginning. Actually, from right before it really started as S was assigned as my "buddy" during the application process. Since then we've written together, started the T*Circle Collective and organized our first convening this past March, and defended our dissertations. S's dissertation is the first study about the experiences of trans and gender nonconforming student affairs practitioners. S works at the University of Illinois Chicago's Gender and Sexuality Center and dappers up the world with bowtie tying workshops! S is my comrade, my brother, my friend.

About that asterisk: This website uses the asterisk (*) as a linguistic disruption of sorts that shifts the meaning of words to intentionally reference from a trans perspective (e.g., trans*form). In most cases, it is not used after the word "trans" as is becoming common in many spaces (see this article for an explanation of the etymology and meaning of trans*), except when directly cited or is part of an already published piece. This is to honor the ongoing discussions and tensions amongst trans communities regarding the use/misuse of the asterisk. See, the following three articles to learn about some of these discussions and tensions: by Julia Serano, by the Trans Student Educational Resources, and by Practical Androgyny.